Private A Flash in the Dark

[Arlo Renard]

The underworld of Coruscant was no stranger to monsters. Deformed and bloodthirsty beasts wandered the lower levels, mutants of a bygone era. Many of the criminals who haunted the depths wore the faces of men and women, but harbored a nature as bestial as the lowest animal.

In the aftermath of the Maw’s invasion, however, a new breed of creature had been unleashed. Twisted by alchemy, they stalked the streets, preying on anything in their path. Sporting hides thick enough to stop blaster fire, they couldn’t be killed by ordinary means. Entrapped civilians who tried to fight them off soon realized their only hope of survival was to escape or hide.

Until the flash of a lightsaber in the dark brought salvation, at least.

Kai and several Jedi had been fighting down here for days. The creatures they fought were vast and varied, mindlessly determined in their pursuit of bloodshed, and the horde seemed endless.

After finishing off a hideous thing that looked like a hybrid between a Wookiee and a rancor, Kai found himself surrounded by five feline monstrosities. They circled him, black lips pulling back over venomous fangs as they growled, not daring to come near his lightsaber, but looking for an opening...

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Coruscant | Lower Levels​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Iris Arani Arlo Renard ​

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Following the Battle on Coruscant, Valery had made her return to the Galaxy after she had spent several months away on a meditative retreat. With her mind centered and ready to help others once again, one of the first things she ran into were the Sithspawn beasts hunting people in the streets of Coruscant. Together with various other Jedi, she had helped clear several levels but from the moment it started, she knew it was going to take a long time to clear the whole planet. If it was even remotely possible to do so.​

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The planet had an incredible amount of levels, and they spanned across the surface of the entire globe. So now quite some time later, and with a new Padawan learner assigned to her, she heard the efforts were still ongoing. With a desire to help her Padawan gain more experience, she thus made the decision to return to Coruscant and offer her assistance once again.​

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.....​

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"Alright, Iris, stay close to me," Valery said after they had made their way down into the planet's underworld with a shuttle. She had, of course, made sure to land in a secured area. But the movements of Sithspawn could be unpredictable, so it was key that they would not let her guard down. ​

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To cover herself, Valery concealed her presence in the Force and took point as they crossed through mostly empty streets. Due to the people having to suddenly escape, everything was left behind where it had been right before the beasts appeared. It made it seem as if the people had all just suddenly vanished. ​

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"I feel something up ahead. A presence but also..." she blinked and drew one of her two lightsaber hilts into her hand. Sithspawn, she could feel the darkness coming from them. She then raised a finger in front of her lips to gesture that Iris had to remain quiet, and they would slowly begin to approach the source.​

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[Iris Arani]

She'd never get used to seeing color just leach away like it did. The dark was just that. Absence of colors. Turning a grey filter on the world of lights she saw normally. Iris gripped the hilt of her lightsaber tightly. Right. It was still surreal that she had a saber now. The young girl let herself smile, basking in the faint light from the crystal within. Letting that help to calm her.

Behind Valery Noble , she readied her blade. It stayed off for the moment. She couldn't hide like her master could. Silent, slow footsteps. Bit by bit, creeping forward. Tense. Sithspawn. It wasn't like the Sith in the cage. Something dark, something free to hurt. Something that needed to hurt others. She was frightened. Who wouldn't be? But she kept moving regardless.

Another.

Her eyes opened wide as she suddenly rushed forward. No thought behind it, but she could feel someone else. Not a Sithspawn, but someone in trouble. How was she going to help? She wasn't sure, but as she rounded the corner she lifted her blade and igniting the faintly pink tinted plasma. She was going to help, one way or another.

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

One of the felines lunged at him. Kai darted out of the way, his raised blade slashing its side.

The other four pounced as one. He leaped up, a fleshy tendril extending from his hand and wrapping around a nearby drainage pipe like a grapple. It propelled him over their heads, landing in a crouch on a ledge.

Growling and yapping, they dug their claws into the duracrete, scrambling up the wall after him. Kai crawled higher, but they were gaining on him. He swung to another building—but if he led them away, he’d put the others in danger!

Arms and legs gripping the wall, Kai pressed his back to the stone, looking around for something he could use.

The water pipes—

The Force ripped them open, sending a shower of water down upon the felines. Just like cats, they shrieked and darted away, dripping wet and yowling. But it was a brief distraction at best. Releasing his grip, Kai dove down and impaled one of them with his lightsaber. The creature shuddered and died beneath him, its brethren roaring as they moved to avenge their fallen kin.

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Coruscant | Lower Levels​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Iris Arani Arlo Renard ​

​

Orange eyes widened as Iris began to rush towards Kai and the Sithspawn, her pink blade ignited. While she admired the girl's courage to help someone in need, there was no way she'd let her Padawan take point in a situation as dangerous as this. So with blinding speed, the taller brunette moved past Iris, her twin lightsabers drawn into her hands. ​

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As she drew closer, the violet blades ignited but she spotted 4 targets remaining, as Kai had just taken one of them out.​

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"Iris, the one on the right!" ​

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Valery channeled the Force and in an attempt to give Kai the ability to group up with them, she sent a powerful pulse to knock 2 out of the 4 beasts away and down to the ground, leaving one on her left and one her right still standing. While she hoped Iris would go for the one on the right, she launched herself into the air to cross the distance to her target with incredible speed.​

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The beast turned to face the incoming woman but it was already too late. ​

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With the blades swept into an X, she carved through the feline and landed just beyond where its body fell. The two beasts she had knocked away scrambled up to their feet and looked at Valery, while her gaze briefly shifted to Kai. She offered him a nod to show she was with him and hoped he'd stand with her against the remaining Sithspawn.​

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"Two more!"​

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Normal animals would likely flee after watching their own get killed, but Sithspawn were often relentless and fought until the last one standing.​

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[Iris Arani]

The one on the right?

Iris's attention immediately pulled to the Sithspawn Valery Noble pointed her towards. There was no time to regret her choice or even feel the fear brought on by the imagery of the monster. An actual monster. People were fighting these daily? No, no time. Steeling her will, the Padawan stepped forward and brought her blade down in a simple, horizontal slash as the creature turned and leapt at her.

Now she felt fear. In an instant it was over. Her blade easily dispatched the creature, leaving it's corpse smoldering where she'd cut it. But she'd cut it. Killed it. Her eyes widened briefly as she stared at it's body. No more color. No more dull grey. Just.. Empty.

The first time she'd actively killed something, monster or not, had an obvious effect. She just stared, even as the last of the cats leapt towards her.

Arlo Renard

 

[Arlo Renard]

Two Jedi entered the fray, killing three of the four felines. Kai took on the remaining Sithspawn, pouncing on it as it headed for Iris. His lightsaber cut a bloodless swath through the creature’s neck, decapitating it cleanly. The severed head rolled away while the body slumped, twitching.

Kai looked over at the two women. The younger female seemed a bit disoriented, but otherwise they were unharmed. Kai had a ragged gash along the side of his jumpsuit, obviously the result of being scratched by one of the cat’s claws, but the flesh underneath was smooth and unhurt.

<Thanks for the help.> He deactivated his lightsaber. <Are you two with the NJO?>

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant | Lower Levels​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Iris Arani Arlo Renard ​

​

Valery watched as the remaining beasts were taken out, the last of which had attempted to lash out at her Padawan. But seeing she was alright, she sighed softly and stood up straight before she'd return the lightsabers to her belt.​

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"You okay, Iris?" she asked to make sure as her eyes began to shift towards Kai.​

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After hearing his voice inside her mind, Valery tilted her head lightly and decided to respond telepathically as well, believing that may be his only way to communicate.​

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<T> "You're welcome, and I'm with the NJO." she said in response <T> "I'm Master Valery Noble, and this is Padawan Iris Arani. We're here to offer a hand at purging more of these beasts from the streets."​

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[Iris Arani]

A rolling head caught her attention. Iris's eyes widened as she turned her head to stare at it. They'd.. Definitely killed these creatures. The dark was all there was to them, but did that mean they deserved death? Her grip on her blade tightened for a moment, then her eyes lifted towards Valery Noble and Arlo Renard to li- wait they weren't talking. She blinked slowly as she could clearly hear their voices.

No, there was color coming from them. Something bright and light, dancing through the air. The color of sound? "I'm.. Okay." As okay as she could be. She didn't like the idea of killing, even if these creatures needed to be.

Life was still life.

"What.. Are you two doing?"

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai was pleased to find someone who could also communicate telepathically. At the very least he would’ve been happy that neither of them were upset by it or tried to demand that he talk with his mouth. Unlike some people…

When Valery revealed she was a master, Kai gave her a slight bow. Iris asked what they were doing. Kai inclined his head to one side, his brow furrowing.

<We are communicating telepathically. I prefer it to vocalizing. I don’t like the vibrations noise makes, and it’s harder to get across what you really mean in just a few spoken words.>

He pointed down the street. <There are more beasts further that way. I’m going to go help clear them out. You can follow me.>

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant | Lower Levels​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Iris Arani Arlo Renard ​

​

Valery looked over at Iris and waved her over. Even with the beasts taken out, she preferred Iris to remain close constantly. The threat was never truly gone, after all. She then looked back at Kai and offered a bow of her head in return to show him the same respect he was showing her.​

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<T> "We'll be with you." Valery said before briefly looking at Iris to make sure she was ready to get going as well.​

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<T> "What is your name?" she then asked as they began to move down the street. In order to coordinate and call out to each other, she figured it would be best if they were familiar with names. ​

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Finally, as they were approaching their targets, Valery sensed darker presences so she began to slow down her pace, allowing herself more time to focus on the next threat they were going to face. This time, there seemed to be more than five distinct signatures - perhaps a dozen or more. But they felt weaker than the feline creatures.​

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Looking around the corner of the street, Valery spotted several humanoid figures chasing another. Chilling screeches came from the mouths of the attackers, while the one running away, an adult man, was screaming for fear of his life.​

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[Iris Arani]

Telepathy? Iris just stared blankly. Was that something she'd even heard of before? .. Maybe? The Padawan wracked her brain, trying to figure out what it could mean. Thus far? Nothing. Her frown only deepened, but she fell in line behind Valery Noble as she and Arlo Renard continued on. There were more to fight. .. Right. Fighting. It wasn't something Iris wanted to do anymore of. The flashing images of the head rolling beside her. The dead body of the feline creature she'd cut.

Was this violence necessary?

Then a scream. No, lots of streams. She blinked slowly as she turned her gaze towards where the screaming was. Only to see a man running for his life. No hesitation as she rushed forward, trying to get between the man and the figures running after him. "Keep going! It's safe that way!" Her saber again flashed to life as she turned her gaze towards the figures. Sithspawn.

She leveled her saber, preparing to at least defend herself.

 

[Arlo Renard]

<My name is Kai.> No last name. His origins were… complicated.

As he bounded in the direction of the next wave of Sithspawn, he heard screams. A man was fleeing from a group of Sithspawn who, while humanoid, seemed to have been reduced to zombies. He couldn’t quite tell, however—and in the moment, his main concern was with saving the civilian.

Saving the Sithspawn was another matter, one he might have to handle out of sight of his two Jedi companions.

Iris, threw herself between the man and the Sithspawn. Assuming the girl’s master would help her, Kai tackled one of the Sithspawn, knocking them down.

The creature’s skin was pale, their veins gray and swollen-looking. It kicked and punched Kai, foaming at the mouth, but despite these rabid characteristics, it had clearly once been a human or near-human.

<Have you heard any reports of a virus outbreak, or anything like that?> Kai asked the others. He dragged the Sithspawn he had subdued up onto a high place, stringing him up and leaving him dangling from a ledge. The thing was snarling and struggling to break free as Kai leaped down again—one for study or saving, if the other two wound up killing the rest in self-defense. If things were more ideal, he’d try to save them all—he didn’t want to kill anyone so long as there was hope they could be saved, the damage to their bodies and minds undone.

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

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Location: Coruscant | Lower Levels​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Iris Arani Arlo Renard ​

​

With Iris stepping between the civilian and the incoming Sithspawn, the man's path to safety was cleared, and he just kept on running. But Valery couldn't just stand there and watch her Padawan, so she quickly followed after her with great speed, and charged into the group of zombie-like creatures from behind.​

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While two in front began an aggressive assault against Iris, Valery ignited her twin blades and cut her way through two of them in the rear by severing the heads. She made her landing and quickly re-established the telepathic link to Kai.​

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<T> "No, but I've seen forces of the Maw create things similar to these."​

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She then quickly turned her focus back to Iris, who had quite a crowd coming at her. So with a Force-assisted jump, Valery made her way over the Sithspawn and joined Iris by her side. Together, the Master and Padawan stood ready to defend themselves.​

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[Iris Arani]

The other two acted, and Iris just stayed still. She kept her saber up, watching the figures rushing towards her. They.. Weren't like the cats. They were people. Their faces.. What lives did they have before this? Were they always Sithspawn, were they changed? She couldn't bring herself to strike. As the first one neared she brought her blade around, prepared to strike them down. But stopped half way.

And dodged back. The young girl gritted her teeth as she shut off her saber, instead focusing solely on getting away from the failing arms trying to grab and slam her as much as she could. A yelp escaped her as she blocked one of their strikes. They were stronger than they looked, throwing her back off her feet. Her forearms where she deflected the punch stung. She didn't like being hurt.

Then Valery Noble struck a couple down. Her eyes widened as she watched the heads fly from their shoulders. No, this wasn't right. These were people, once at least. "M.. Master! I- Can-" She fumbled over her words, staring up at the older woman as she hopped to her side. Iris pushed her way up to her feet, frowning. Why couldn't she say it? Her gaze shifted towards Arlo Renard . Kai had saved one. Or at least immobilized them.

"I want to save them. Do we.. Can we stop them without killing?"

 

[Arlo Renard]

Kai was surprised to hear Iris asking if the Sithspawn could be saved. The boy looked toward Valery, his expression bordering on panic in expectation of her answer—only to become distracted by another zombie.

He lopped off its arms with his lightsaber, then shoved it back with the Force. Two more lunged at him, earning similar de-limbings.

<It might be possible, but it would be—difficult to do,> he replied, still fending them off. <And there’s no guarantee—it would work.>

Kai himself wasn’t exactly “saved”. He had found a way of hiding his corrupted aura from others, but he would most likely spend the rest of his life at war with his Sithspawn nature.

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant | Lower Levels​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Iris Arani Arlo Renard ​

​

While Iris backed off to get away from the horde that was still going after her with clear murderous intent, Valery maneuvred through the crowd with blades drawn. She positioned herself between her Padawan and two zombies that were about to jump her and struck them down with a sweep from each blade.​

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There seemed to be very little hesitation from her.​

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<T> "As much as I admire your willingness to safe lives..." Valery said before channeling the Force to shove back the next wave of zombies. "....These creatures can't be returned to people. Focus on their presence." Reaching out, the zombies felt like pure darkness, the corruption likely being the only thing keeping them going. ​

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To sever them from it would end them just the way her violet blades did. ​

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<T> "Even if they could get out of this state... look at them." Valery said as her eyes focused on the completely deformed faces and bodies of the zombies. Many had injuries that would kill any normal person, while others were missing a limb or two. If they magically were returned to people, many would die or be unable to live normally.​

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<T> "These Sithspawn were created to kill innocents, that's why they are here. The more time and risk we take to attempt the impossible, the more innocents will die." Valery then charged forward and transitioned into a whirlwind with her two blades, taking down the large group one-by-one before it had the chance to overwhelm them.​

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She knew this was going to be difficult to accept, but if there was a way to actually save them, she would have taken it. These zombies, however, were created by the Maw. She had seen it on Coruscant before and on Jedha. They weren't natural, and there was no state to return them to.​

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They could only be returned to the Force.​

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[Iris Arani]

"But..!" She could tell they were dead. Iris wasn't so naïve to ignore the lack of colors coming from them. Even the cats had some semblance of color, of life, coloring the Force around them. These weren't even grey. Just black spots in her vision. But even ruined faces were still faces. Still people. The padawan's saber was hooked onto her waist. She couldn't kill them. Especially not with the colors coming from Arlo Renard .

"If we don't try, who will!?" That was her choice. Still learning how to use the Force, how to defend herself and others, Iris stayed her hand from killing. Even as one of the zombies leapt at her, teeth gnashing angrily, she couldn't bring herself to strike out. Which only put her in danger. Iris was far from a strong person. She was easily tackled to the ground. Helplessly shoving at the inhuman figure trying so desperately to bite her.

Only to find purchase on her arm. Blood scattered as a chunk of her forearm was ripped free. Regret filled her mind as the creature leaned in for a second bite. Not in her choice to spare a life, but in her weakness.

Valery Noble

 

[Arlo Renard]

"...These creatures can't be returned to people."

"But if we don't try, who will!?"

As a Sithspawn himself, Kai couldn't not be affected by Master Noble's words. The lack of hope in them. He knew she wasn't trying to be callous or uncaring, but she was resigned. She had consigned them all to their fate.

But there was little time to consider it all, least of all to provide a rebuttal. One of the creatures attacked Iris. Alarmingly, she failed to put up a fight and was knocked down. Kai was closer to her than Valery, and he was fast. The doppelganger yanked the zombie off of Iris, drool tinged red with blood dribbling from its mouth as Kai held his arm across its throat, applying pressure until it went limp. The body sagged, slipping out of his loosened grip and falling in a heap on the ground.

The only one left alive was the one he had strung up and left hanging. Even now the creature was thrashing, mindlessly trying to fight its way out of the bindings. Kai looked up at it, his expression pained. Rather than deal with it, he turned back to Iris.

<You're bleeding.> He knelt down, taking hold of her arm. Producing a medkit, he started tending to the bite wound. <Master Noble, you said you had seen these creatures before—how are they created?> Hopefully not like rakghouls, where their mutation could be transmitted through bites.

Iris Arani Valery Noble​

 

[Valery Noble]

​

Location: Coruscant | Lower Levels​

Valery: Appearance​

Outfit: Factory Link​

Lightsabers: Link​

Ship: Factory link​

Tag: Iris Arani Arlo Renard ​

​

Valery's orange eyes widened when she felt her Padawan's pain through the Force. With all her students, she developed a bond rather quickly so when they were in danger or hurt, she knew. But noticing Kai was moving in to assist, she decided it was best for her to continue her whirlwind to strike down the horde. It would hopefully give them time to recover and get back up to their feet.​

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After a few more attacking zombies were slain, the fight was finally over and it seemed Kai was tending to her Padawan's injuries already. A sigh of relief from Valery followed as she disengaged the twin blades.​

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<T> "How exactly is hard to say, but it's some kind of necromancy. Raising those who are already dead." Valery communicated as she joined the two and looked down at Iris. ​

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<T> "I apologize if I sounded harsh earlier, but there was little time to explain and discuss while they were attacking. But they were used on Jedha as well, and I've seen this type of Sith sorcery in the past too." ​

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Valery then crouched down next to Iris and looked between the two, her expression softening somewhat.​

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<T> "If they really could be saved without gambling and risking many more lives, I would have been there with you. But these were likely civilians killed in the attack on Coruscant, and then raised from the dead to kill more." she frowned at the thought. "As Jedi, we honor life and we certainly don't disturb the dead. They may not be able to return to the people they once were, but they'll find more rest now than they did moments ago."​

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A brief moment of silence followed before she looked at Iris. "Are you doing okay? How is that arm holding up?" she asked, worried like a mother seeing her injured.​

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